Dancing doll.



J. KERSHAW'.

DANCING DOLL.

APPLICATION FILED Nov 14.!916.

f lPatented Sept. 4, '1917.-

wnarran sanare .arnnfr cierren JOSEPH KERSHAW, OF JOPLIN, MSSOURI.

, DANCING DOLL.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Josevi-r Knnsr-raw, a citizen'of the United States, residing atJoplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dancing Dolls, of which the following is a specification.

rlhe present invention relates to improvements in mechanically `operated dancing dolls. i

An important object of the invention is to provide a dancing doll of the above mentioned character, which is particularly `well adapted for use as an advertising novelty, while not necessarily restricted to suc-h use, is apparently self-actuated, and will perform for a suitably prolonged period.

A further object of the invention isito provide means for effecting a rnatural and realistic upward movement ofthe doll, as the rope is swung beneath and beyond its feet.

A further object of theinvention is to provide electrical means for actuating the doll, and to illuminate the apparatus. A

Other objects and `advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure l is a front elevation of apparatus embodying my invention, parts being broken away for the purpose of illustration,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the doll removed, parts being broken away,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of the contact means, arranged within the doll,

i Fig. e is a detailsection through a contact wheel, and,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

lInzthc drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a hollow base. Rigidly mounted upon this base are spaced upstanding tubular standards G, having bearings 7, for receivview taken ing a. horizontal rotatable tubular shaft 8, as

shown.

The numeral 9` designates the hollow body portion of the doll which maybe formed of sheet metal or other suitably stift' material.

Patented Sept.. et, i917..

Application led November 14, 1916. Serial No. 131,307.

This body portion is continued in the form ci a hollow skirt portion l0. The body portion 9 is provided upon opposite sides with elongated vertical slots ll, receiving the shaft 8. rlhese slots permit of the vertical reciprocatory movement of the body 9 of the doll, but do not permit of the perceptible lateral movement of the body portion 9 with respect to the shaft S. rlhe body portion 9 of the doll carries a head l2 and arms 13, as shown. Each arm 13 coinprises sections lfland l5. rlhe section l5 is hinged to the body portion 9, the section let to the section l5, forming an elbow joint, and the section lll carries a hand 1G, having an opening formed therein for pivot-ally receiving the rotatable shaft S.

'llhe numeral l?" designates a plate, rigidly secured to the lower end of the skirt portion l0, and carrying feet 18, adapted to normally contact with the top of the base 5, but to be raised therefrom, to permit of the passage of ay member 19, simulating a rope. This member is preferably formed of a. section of suitably stilf wire, bent into a U-shape, and having' its ends rigidly attached to the shaft 8, at or near the'hands 1G.

Arranged within the skirt portion l0 is a pendant structure, including a solenoid 20, rigidly secured to the lower ends of support ing arms or members 2l, the upper ends of which are provided with apertured heads 22 pivotally receiving the shaft 8. It is thus apparent that the solenoid 9.0 cannot move vertically perceptibly with relation to the shaft S, that the solenoid 2O issuspended from the shaft, and does not interfere with its rotation. This solenoid has a `vertically movable 4core 20, which is rigidly secured to the plate 17.

Rigidly mounted upon the shaft 8 is a contact carrying wheel 23, formed of insulating material, such as wood, for rotation with the shaft S. l'igidly secured to the opposite sides of the insulating wheel 23 are con tact plates Q-lf and 25, which are insulated from the shaft Si The contact plate 2i; is in the form of an ordinary disk, having a central opening for the passage of the' shaft 8, without contacting therewith, while the contact plate Q5, as shown in Fig. is provided with a segmental opening 26, which leaves a portion of the insulating wheel 23 exposed. lt is obvious that the Contact plate 25 has a continuous annular contactdownwardly ing surface 27 and a segmental contacting surface 28, interrupted by the cut out portion 26. Itigidly connected with` and insulated from the enlarged heads 22 are contact elements or brushes 29' and 30, adapted to contact with the inner portions of the contact plates 24 and 25 respectively. rIhe contact element or brush 30 is disposed in the path of travel of the segmental contact por tion 28 only, and therefore is adapted to alternately engage and disengage the contact plate 25, for opening and closing a circuit for a purpose to be hereinafter stated. Con nected with the contact element or brush 29 is a wire l, connected with one end of the winding of the solenoid 20, while the opposite end of this winding is connected with a wire 32, which is connected with the contact element or brush 80. Connected with the upper ends of the enlarged heads and in sul-ated therefrom are contact elements or brushes 33 and 34, which permanently contact with the outer portions of the contact plates 24 and 25, the contact element 34 engaging only with the annular contact portion 27 of the contact plate 25. Connected with the contact element or brush is a wire 86, having electric lamps 37 connected therein. These lamps preferably constitute the eyes of the doll, while they may be arranged within any other suitable portion thereof. rIhe wire 36 has its opposite end connected with the contact element or brush 34, as shown.

Contacting` with the outer continuous portions of the contact plates 24 and 25 are contact elements 38 and 39, secured to the shaft 8 and insulated therefrom. These contact elements are connected with wires 40 and 4l respectively, as shown. 'lhe wires 40 and 41 have electrical connection with current transmitting contact disks 42 and 43 respectively, which are rigidly secured to an insulating wheel 44, rigidly secured to the shaft S. Having permanent contact with the disks 42 and 43 are contact elements or brushes 45 and 46 respectively, which are secured to and insulated from the tubular standards 6. Connected with the contact element or brushes 45 and 46 are wires 4T and 4S, connected with the opposite terminals of a motor 49, arranged within the base 5. Connected in the wire 47 is a source of current 50, and a switch 51 is connected in the wire 4S, as shown. The motor 49 drives a pulley 52, engaged by a belt 53, extending upwardly to engage and drive a pulley 54 rigidly mounted upon the shaft 8. Twisted about the wire 19, is a wire 55, having electric bulbs 56, connected in series therewith. The ends of the wire 55 are connected with the wires 40 and 41.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: f

The switch 51 being turned on, a circuit is closed to drive the motor 49. In this closed circuit current flows from the positive side of the source of current 50, through Wire 47, contact 45, contact plate 42, wire 40, contact element 38, contact plate 24, contact element 33, wire`36 and the eye lamps connected therein, contact element 34, the an.- nular portion 2T of the contact plate 25, contactelement 39,\wire 41, contact plate 43, contact element 4G, wire 4S, and through the motor 49 back to the opposite pole of the source'of current. rf`he `motor 49 drivesthe shaft 8, which in turn rotatesthe insulating wheel 23 and. associated elements. When the shaft 8 swings the rope 19 in proximity to the feet 18, the segmental contact portion 28 of the contact plate 25 is brought into contact with the contact element 80,where by a branch circuit is closedfor energizing the winding of the solenoid 20. In this branch circuit, current flows from the positive side of the source of current 5() through wire`47, contact lelement 45, Contact plate 42, wire 40, contactelement 38, contactplate 24, contact element 29, wire 31, winding of the solenoid 20, wire 32, contact element 30, contact plate 25, contact element 39, wire 41, contact plate 43, wire 48, through the motor 49, and back to the opposite pole of the source `of current 50. When the solenoid winding is energizedthe core 20 is moved upwardly, thus elevating the feet 18 and the entire body of thedoll. The upward Inovement of the feet 18 allows of the passage therebencath of the rope 19. rIhe circuit is opened and the solenoid winding `deenergized when the contact element 30 disengages the segmental contact portion 28 as will obviously occur upon the continued rotation of the shaft 8. It is thus apparent that means are provided to impart to the body of the doll a vertical reciprocatory movement, which also imparts a bending movement to the arms, as they are pivotally connected to the body of the doll and the shaft.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken asa preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A mechanical doll of the character described, comprising a support, a rotatable shaft carried thereby, a doll having its body portion provided with an elongated opening which receives the shaft and permits of the vertical movement of the doll, an electrically operated device connected with .the kshaft and with the body lportion of the doll and adapted when energized to elevate the body Vand means to energize the electrically operated device.

3. In a mechanical doll of the character' described, a support, a rotatable shaft carried thereby, a doll having its body portion provided with an elongated opening which receives the shaft and permits of the vertical movement of the doll, an electrically operated device suspended from the shaft and connected with the lower portion of the body portion and adapted when energized to elevate the body portion, and means to energize the electrically operated device comprising apparatus carried by the shaft and adapted to be rotated thereby.

l. In a mechanical doll of the character described, a base, a support connected with the base, a doll having feet arranged in proximity to the base and having a substantially vertical elongated opening fornred in the upper portion thereof, a rotatable shaft carried by the support and extending through the elongated opening, an electrically operated device arranged within the doll and suspended from the rotatable shaft and adapted to elevate the doll upon being energized, means to energize the electrically operated device comprising apparatus carried by the shaft and rotated thereby, an approximately U-shaped member carried-by the shaft to rotate therewith and to pass between the base and the feet of the doll, and means to drive the shaft.

5. A mechanical doll of the character described, comprising a support, an approximately horizontal rotatable shaft connected with the support, means to drive the shaft, a doll having connection with the approximately horizontal shaft so that the dell is adapted to move vertically with relation to the shaft, an electrically operated device arranged within the doll and connected therewith and with the shaft and adapted when actuated to elevate the doll, means operated by the rotatable shaft to intermittently energize the electrically operated device, and. a hoop connected with the rotatable shaft and adapted to be carried thereby beneath the doll when it elevated.

(i. A mechanical doll of the character described, comprising a support, an approximately horizontal shaft connected therewith, means to drive the shaft, a doll having slidable connection with the shaft and adapted to be raised and lowered with relation thereto, an electrically operated device arranged within the doll and connected with the shaft and adapted to elevate the doll, means operated. by the rotatable shaft to intermittently energize the electrically operated device, arms having elbow joints connected with the body portion of the doll and pivotally connected with the rotatable shaft, and a hoop connected with the rotatable shaft to be carried thereby beneath the doll when it is elevated.

7. A. mechanical doll of the character described, comprising a support, an approximately horizontal shaft connected therewith, a doll comprising a body portion having slidable connection with the .shaft to be moved vertically with relation thereto, and having arms provided .vithelbow joints connected with the body portion and p'ivotally connected with the shaft, and means to raise and lower the d oll with relation to the shaft.

ln testi mony whereof l allix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH KERSHAV.

Titnesses lV. O. DUPLANTIER, Lor'rln GiLns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

